


Innocent Nightmares

by Torren



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27762274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torren/pseuds/Torren
Summary: She had died the same night as the man who had attempted to kill her and kidnap her sister. Y/n L/n had been protecting the innocence of children since she died in 1995. 25 years now she had been a spirit. Seldom believed in. She'd find the occasional child, one of which had been her own sister, who could see her because of their belief. One day she meets Pitch Black, who she recognizes from her own childhood. The spirit who she always smiled and waved at when she saw him in the shadows. But when the Guardians show up and tell her that The Man in the Moon had chosen her as a Guardian, she finds herself juggling a life of being a Guardian and standing along side the Nightmare King.
Relationships: Pitch Black/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Innocent Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> As of November 27th, 2020: This story will update very slowly to start off. This is a work that combines the movie and the books. As of now I have not read the books, but have only a basic understanding thanks to Youtube videos. Characters who appear in the movie will follow closer to their movie counterparts, and some non-cannon stuff is gonna happen. An example being with the whole Nightlight=Jack Frost situation in the books, I'm doing some non-cannon stuff with that.

I was standing in that alleyway again. 25 years ago now I killed a man, and he had killed me. The man had attempted to kidnap my sister. She and I had been on our way home from the movie theater, we'd seen Toy Story for the 3rd time on her request. I noticed about 20 minutes into our walk home that we were being followed. I had sent Jenny off ahead to the police station that was thankfully half a block away. I'd started fighting the guy, who'd actually started to go after me after Jenny ran off.

The man had managed to get a few good stabs at me, but I managed to do the same to him. I'd been able to get him to the ground and unconscious before I felt to weak to stay upright, mainly from the stab wounds.

Now days Jenny is 35. I actually visit her often. Something happened after I died. 20 years ago I woke up in the same position I'd been in when I died, what had once been a small pocket knife had become a spear... as if by magic. Only people who believe in my existence can see me. My sister, her children. The occasional child will see me as well.

It wasn't until recently though that I found I could somehow keep child predators from successfully getting ahold of children. The most common being touching the shoulder of someone nearby, and they'd pick up on the fact that the child was not the kid of the person trying to take them. Other times I could scare someone enough that a kid would have an open chance to fight back and get away. I saw a newspaper say that there'd been in decrease in kidnappings and trafficking incidents in our town.

Jenny knew I was getting ready to branch out however. We have some cousins in a town called Burgess, that was my first choice of where to go. None of that part of the family would be able to see me unless I did something to make them see me. I'd also managed to hear through the innocent gossip of children that Burgess was the most common place that kids said they saw Jack Frost.

I turn away from the alley and focus on the memory I have of the images of Burgess I looked at with Jenny earlier today. With enough focus I start to feel like I'm falling, and within the next moment the feeling goes away. I open my eyes and find myself in Burgess. I smile, that trick is one I've never been able to describe outside of saying teleportation but it gets the job done. Before I can do much else I hear a male voice.

"That was pretty interesting to see. So what brings a new spirit like you to Burgess?"

I turn and look up to see a boy, probably about 17, sitting on a nearby statue. He's got white hair, a blue hoodie, and a wooden staff. Just by looking at him I can tell who he is.

"I have family here. Not that I assume they'd be able to see me. I mean, I feel lucky enough that my sister back in New York can see me. Her children can to because of all the stories she tells them about me. Oh... you're Jack Frost, right? I hear about you a lot, non-stop during the winter season, especially."

He nods," Yeah. And who's your family? If they have kids I could probably help you. Every kid in this town believes."

I smile," If I remember correctly, the last name is Bennett."

Jack laughs," You're related to Jamie, then."

We walk toward a small house and Jack knocks on the window instead of the door. I hear someone on the other side stumbling over stuff and then a brunette guy opens the door.

"Jack! Great to see you. I'm guessing a snow day's coming soon?"

Jack nods," Yep, but I got a question for you. Any family named..."

"I'm Y/n, his dad's twin."

Jack continues," Do you have an aunt named Y/n?"

Jamie nods," Dad told me about her when I was a kid. He said she died before I was born though."

"What if she was still around? Just believe that for a minute."

Jamie nods and then after a minute looks me in the eyes.

"Are you.... are you my aunt Y/n?"

"You can see me?"

Jamie nods.

"And hear me!?"

Jamie laughs," Yeah, I can."

Jack laughs too," This situation seems familiar. I said practically the same thing when Jamie was able to see me the first time."

"Looks like you already met her," I new voice chimes in.

I turn to see someone else I heard kids in New York talk about. The Easter Bunny, followed by Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and Sandman.

"Oh, looks like the gang's all here," Jack says as he jumps off the porch.

"What do you mean he's already met me?"

The Sandman attempts to explain, but fails.

"You were chosen to be Guardian, by Man in Moon," I would not have expected a Russian accent from Santa.

"I don't see why. I've caused several deaths, from scaring people. I've hardly been able to even understand much of what being a spirit means. I've been dead for 25 years! I'm 50 years old, nowhere near how much time and experience that any of you are bound to have. I can't just suddenly be told the Man in the Moon chose me to be a Guardian and be expected to go along with it!"

"Wait, we aren't trying to force this on you. We don't even know why you've been chosen. We just want you to know you've been chosen. Do you have any idea as to why?" The Tooth Fairy asks.

I step down the stairs of the porch and start walking toward the park," I don't know. Like I said, I've caused deaths... and fear in those same people I caused the deaths of. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to be alert for the next time a child is in severe trouble."

I head off to the alleyways of downtown, where I feel most at home. There's the occasional late night bar open, and a 24/7 supermarket. Nothing out of the ordinary...

"No! You don't have a puppy! I'm telling mommy on you!" I hear the voice of a kid yell from a few buildings away.

I take off running, and notice that it almost looks like shadows are moving in the same direction. I round a corner and see a little girl, her arm held tightly by a man who looks homeless.

"Come on! It's yur mom who told me to come find you. She couldn't find you after ya ran off in the store."

I run toward the guy, feeling a familiar energy surge through my arm. I stop a few feet away and raise my arm. A blast of grey-ish energy flies toward the guy's head. It stuns him and he begins to hallucinate as usual when I do this.

"How'd they find me!?" He shrieks.

He probably hears police sirens. The girl wrenches her arm out of the man's grip and takes off to the shop across the street, where I see her meet her mother through the window fronts. I turn back to the man and continue with causing the hallucinations. Eventually he severely injures himself and falls over from hitting his head against the brick wall of one of the buildings. I can sense as his heartbeat fades away. Another child safe, another human being who will never change is gone.

"Well, that was very interesting. The amount of fear that man felt just from the hallucinations you caused! I must say this was not where I expected you to be after all these years, Y/n."

I whip around to see a pair of eyes in the shadows. Familiar eyes from my childhood. Someone I found comfort in as I was growing up, when my brother and sister were asleep. Someone I always smiled at when I saw him.

"Pitch? Is that you?" I ask with a smile on my face, recognizing the voice of none other than The Boogeyman himself.

"So you do remember me."

I nod," Yeah. I know it's been.. what, 37 years? I was 13 the last time I remember seeing you, I didn't even want to try to forget."

"And now you've become a spirit," He says as he leaves the shadows.

I answer," 25 years now. Died saving my sister."

"Ah, Jenny. How is she? And your twin... David, was it?"

I sigh at the mention of my brother's name," Jenny is fine, still living in New York. She and her kids believe in me, so they can see me. She told me about 4 years ago that she heard from family that David had died. None of us could bear to go to the funeral. I wouldn't have been able to comfort anyone anyway. I only just today found out he and his wife actually had a kid."

"So you found some of your family you didn't know you had?"

I nod again," Kid named Jamie Bennett. If I guessed correctly, looked like he's 19 years old now and best friends with Jack Frost."

"Oh...well, that wasn't what I expected you to say."

"What do you mean?"

I hear the Easter Bunny respond before Pitch can," He means that it's because Jamie was the one kid who refused to stop believing in us 8 years ago. Pitch tried getting every kid to stop believing. Tried to make the whole world scared of him."

I clench my teeth," Well, how'd it feel?"

"What?" the Tooth Fairy asks

I repeat," How! Did! It! Feel!? Not to be believed in!? He's gone centuries with little to no people believing in him! When fear is essential to life! Living with all sunshine and rainbows, feeling hope every day does not make you appreciate it! I lived my childhood scared whenever the sun was up. In the dark, seeing Pitch standing in the corner at night was when I felt safe!"

The Easter Bunny laughs," You felt safe? Around him?"

In response I step closer to Pitch as I say," So what if I do!? None of you ever showed up in my life as a kid! Sure yeah I got quarters under my pillow from you, found Easter Eggs, got Christmas Presents, good dreams when I fell asleep, snow days even! But I never associated that with any of you. I thought it was my mother when I lost a tooth, had Easter egg hunts, or on Christmas. I didn't even know who the Sandman was, and all I'd ever heard of you, Jack, was that old Christmas song!"

The Tooth Fairy asks," Why did you not believe?"

I ball my hands into fists," Because I believed that if you all really existed I wouldn't feel so little hope, and happiness during the day. My father was an awful man, and I was always scared when he was awake. After dark, when he was asleep was when I felt safe. So naturally, since I didn't fall asleep for hours I eventually met Pitch and associated him with being safe. I know who he is! But really is it wrong for someone to feel safe in the dark, in a nightmare?"

"Hey now, Y/n. Listen to yourself," Jack starts," You're really gonna trust him?"

I'm now standing right next to Pitch, and laugh a little," Why should I be afraid of the innocent nightmares I had as a child? By the way you're all acting, I'd say it's you who is afraid of him... not me. Or does that fact I have killed nearly a thousand child predators not of concern to you!?"

"A thousand?"

Pitch places a hand on my shoulder," You heard her, North. A thousand people, who were that close to actually harming the children you say the Guardians are sworn to protect. A little nightmare does nothing compared to what she stopped from happening."

"Pitch don't you dare-!" Jack suddenly yells.

I'm surrounded by black, the feeling similar to what it feels like when I teleport. The next thing I know we're at the edge of town. I look at Pitch, he looks a little concerned.

"Not how I was wanting the day to go. But I can't really stop what will happen from happening," I sigh.

"Well, I will make sure they don't bother you. Stay close to me, they can't find me easily, therefore they won't be able to find you easily."

I smile a little," Alright. I would have wanted to stick with you even if you didn't tell me that."

Without really much to the thought I hug him," I'm glad to see you again. I never forgot you, Pitch."

He laughs," Good. I checked in on you every once in a while and since I never knew if you have stopped believing or not I never tried to interacted with you. I'm glad to see you've turned out so strong."

I laugh too as he hugs me back. I feel safe, I always have felt safe around him.

"Welcome to Burgess, Y/n."


End file.
